Feature Story

March 9, 2006

When Hurricane Katrina blew through the Gulf Coast, communities lost everything, from infrastructure to their ability to deliver services - especially, for instance, education. Rebuilding involves much more than bricks and mortar or simply repopulating the community; it requires vision and commitment.

To help the affected region, Cisco Systems recently announced the 21st Century Schools ("21S") Initiative - a blueprint for reconstructing and improving schools that will begin in the Gulf states and can be replicated around the world. One part of that effort is the Mississippi Education Initiative, in which Cisco is working with 7 school districts that encompass more than 30 individual schools and about 20,000 students.

News@Cisco recently spoke with Tae Yoo, vice president for Corporate Affairs, about the 21S and Mississippi Education Initiatives.

Why did Cisco commit to helping reform education in the Gulf Coast region after Katrina?

Tae Yoo: Cisco has a deep commitment to education; this is integral to our culture. We realized very early in our corporate history that there are a handful of key enablers to success in life, and the most important of those is education. It enables people, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances, to learn and acquire skills - and ultimately to be able to contribute to their communities.

So, we recognize education as a keystone for success. And what is even more exciting for us at Cisco is that when you integrate education with the power of the Internet and all the new advanced technologies available, we have the opportunity to impact not just a single community but communities all over the world.

Is it fair to say that you're trying to revolutionize the way education is delivered?

Tae Yoo: Rather than revolutionize, I would say we're doing our part to help transform the educational process - in partnership with teachers, administrators and the state department of education.

Everybody has budget constraints, and so when schools want to adopt new technologies, they are really torn, because they have to balance what those technologies can offer against the cost of investing in something new.

What companies like Cisco can do is bring to bear some examples - some live test beds and pilots - with measured results. That way, we can show the impact that incorporating new methodologies and new technologies into classrooms can have - and how they can ultimately transform the way education is delivered.

The 21st Century Schools Initiative engages fellows who have actually moved to the Gulf Coast for a year. Who are these people, and why did Cisco opt to design the program with fellows?

Tae Yoo: The Cisco Fellows highlight the absolute best of Cisco - our employees. As part of our leadership program, we have a fellowship program in which we enable high-potential employees to go out and work in the community on a specific project that is directly related to their area of expertise.

In the Mississippi Education Initiative, it was clear to us that we needed a vast array of skill sets. For example, we needed people with technology experience who can go in, assess the physical condition of a school and then marry that with the school's particular goals in terms of curriculum, teacher training and education delivery. We also wanted people who can blend technology with education to create a transformative educational system.

Many employees volunteered, so we've been able to bring together this amazing group of eight 21S Fellows who, as you point out, have actually moved to the Gulf Coast so they can work hand-in-hand with the local schools.

What are your goals for the Mississippi Education Initiative?

Tae Yoo: We recognize that seeing results in an initiative such as this one is a long-term investment. Unlike business initiatives, in which you can measure results within a quarter or two, when you're talking about transforming education, we may not be able to measure all the results for a decade. Our ultimate goal is to transform the educational system by creating a sound framework--a proven pilot program--that can be replicated in schools around the country - to show what can be accomplished when you integrate technology and new teaching methodologies. Our hope is that it can be replicated anywhere.

The Mississippi Education Initiative has been labeled a bold stroke. Can you explain why?

Tae Yoo: Education is so important to everyone: there isn't a community on this earth that isn't concerned about education, because it represents their future.

It's well known that there are major budget constraints around education. Everyone has great aspirations for their children and the children they teach - but it all takes significant funding.

In addition, it takes a successful collaboration of teachers, students, administrators and parents to truly improve student success.

We believe that there are some interesting opportunities to showcase how technology can dramatically affect the pedagogies or methodologies of how teachers teach and students learn. So, it is bold in the sense that it could potentially impact the entire educational paradigm.

What has struck you most when you've visited the schools?

Tae Yoo: I've been so inspired! When you go to the impacted Gulf region and meet these teachers, principals and superintendents, it's abundantly clear how committed they are - how passionate they are about student success.

For example, Melvia Fountain, the principal at Hattiesburg's Rowan Elementary School in Mississippi, walked us through every inch of her school and showed us everything she has done. Then she showed us a chart that details what she expects the school to accomplish. She told us, 'you know, I have the best teachers around. I love them, they love me, and we all love the kids.'

These educators are working with very little budget - the absolute minimum of resources - and yet they're not discouraged. That really reinforced for us that we had picked the right partners. How do you walk away from something like that and not be inspired?